Final Qualifiers Revealed from LEGO Ideas Third 2023 Review

LEGO have now revealed the 42 qualifiers who made it through the third and final LEGO IDEAS review stage of 2023.

In order to proceed, each entry had to hit the supporter milestone by gathering 10,000 votes between early September 2023 and the end of the review stage on 8^th January 2024 – an incredible achievement for each MOC designer involved. The LEGO team will now judge the sets to decide which creations will become official sets in future.

The judging team face a difficult task, with so many incredible and varied designs to choose from. Nevertheless, we attempted to pick out a few of our favourites. Check out our top picks below and let us know in the comments if there are any other designs you want to be crowned the Grand Prize Winner.

Sequoia Tree Trail

By PieceOnEarth

Anyone who has seen the Giant Sequoias in the flesh knows they are one of the most incredible wonders of the natural world. Each tree can grow up to 350 feet tall, with 40-foot-wide trunks, making them appear more like something out of a fantasy kingdom than the real world. Nevertheless, the stunning trees can truly be found in our own reality, specifically on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California. The most revered wooden monoliths (such as the General Sherman tree) are found in Kings Canyon National Parks.

This beautiful LEGO my-own-creation uses 2,940 to recreate one of the towering trees beside a few smaller ones, with a Sequoia Tree Trail entrance sign and visitor centre completing the scene. The set includes plenty of intricate details, from the plants snaking up the base of the giant tree to hidden banana slugs and other critters dotted about.

This is one of the most exquisite natural scenes we’ve ever seen created from LEGO, and we wish the entry the best of luck in the next round.

The Vintage Service Station

By MOCturnal (in collaboration with Besbasdesign)

From nature to human-made infrastructure, in the form of a 1950s vehicle service station.

There’s a certain romance that’s hard to put into words about the remote roadside garage on an empty desert road stretching the horizon in either direction – these nostalgic locations carry a liminal feel and are icons of the American highway, immortalised in numerous movies and novels. The above image and LEGO design immediately caught our eye, evoking the same feelings.

This 2,949-brick model presents a stylish service station that fits various 8-stud wide-scale vehicles. The building also includes theme-related minifigures, such as a car mechanic and gas pump attendant. As a final interactive element, the build also includes a functional built-in car lift and opening garage door.

Working Log Flume II – Redesigned + Motorised

By Baron von Barron

Working Log Flume II is a reimagined version of a previous IDEAS entry, rebuilt from scratch from the ground up to include a motorised element. It’s no secret that we love a good LEGO theme park ride (Loop Coaster 10303 was one of our favourite sets from 2022), and we think this MOC would sit perfectly alongside others in our themed resort. Not only is it an intelligent build, but what park is complete without a log flume?

The model includes several log boats capable of carrying most LEGO Minifigures, and the builder has taken on feedback from the original entry to improve the ride operation function and other technical details. We wish the entry the best of luck this time around!

Great Temple of Abu Simbel – With Secret Treasure

By ilPas

Abu Simbel is one of the most epic and best-preserved ancient Egyptian monuments, depicting Pharoah Ramses II seated on a throne, recreated as four statues in a row. The rock-cut temple’s interior houses a series of halls adorned with intricate reliefs, but the exterior façade – seen guarding Lake Nasser’s shores– remains one of the most iconic symbols of the grandeur and architectural prowess of the ancient civilisation.

We’re surprised it has taken this long for someone to realise the famous location in LEGO form, as it perfectly translates to the brick-built world. The 3,000-piece colossus focuses on the temple’s grand exterior. However, the fan designer has made sure to include a hidden bas-relief on the back, showing Ramesses firing arrows from a chariot. Other fun details include the two altars with sarcophagi, within which lie secret minifigures of King Ramesses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari.

Every ancient temple needs a hidden treasure chamber – and the designer has incorporated one into this model, filled with artefacts and gold. But, according to the entry’s description, you’ll have to figure out a puzzle involving a lost key first – intriguing!